Moonborn
by SavageViper
Summary: A lone Khajiit struggles with his fate, inflicted by a strain of Lycanthropy since late childhood. He travels from Elsweyr through Cyrodiil and into Skyrim searching for familial kinship from someone that doesnt fear his inner beast.
1. Unexpected Friendship

Disclaimer. Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, is the property of Bethesda.

(Note) This is another One-Shot Story for now. AU in which Alduin doesn't return to threaten the fate of Skyrim. Ulfric Stormcloak has already been named the new High King, These events were necessary for this story to take place. This Story is intended to be M-Rated.

Chapter 1 Unexpected Friendship

Jango, was a Khajiit, of the Cathay breed. Though he wasn't a typical specimen of the breed, Jango was as tall and muscular as the average Nordic man, standing 6'6" and weighing around 260 pounds. Jango was a powerful Khajiit warrior very few people who of the big cats skill and strength willingly challenged him. As untypical as his size was, in all other regards he was like any other of the breed in appearance, thick yet short white and black tiger stripped fur covered his feline body and his keen blue eyes had cat-like slit pupils. His ears were pointed and stuck out of his long black hair he wore in a tribal braid.

Jango was traveling to Skyrim hoping for a new beginning, as he walked through the Pale pass his mind wandered back to his recent past. Though highly skilled in the ways of the warrior, Jango was still a young man not yet in his thirties. His father had taught him everything he'd known about combat, in the hopes that one day Jango would be able to defend his family in his place. That day had come sooner than anyone could have expected least of all Jango, his father had been killed in a Werelion attack when he was just 11 years old, little more than a cub. Just 5 years later Jango saw that history was often cruel in repeating itself as he soon found himself defending his younger brother from a Werelion attack.

In a noble act of self-sacrifice he shoved his brother aside and raised his shield not to defend himself but to cover his brothers escape, and then sinking his father's steel sword deep into the chest of the enraged beast, but Jango had been bitten on the arm before he could he slay the werelion. Once bitten it was a matter of days before he would either die or become a werelion himself. His mother had watched in horror as her firstborn son engaged the monster in combat and had seen Jango bitten.

Knowing there was only course of action left to him. Jango left his nomadic family's camp in Elswyr and without really thinking traveled towards Cyrodiil. 4 Days into his self imposed exile, he felt the pain of his first transformation, growing rapidly into a hulking 9 foot tall 400 pound beast. His muscles grew to immense proportions his hair became a lions mane and his fur darkened from white to a rustic tan. Roaring in pain as the changes in his body finished he immediately dropped onto all 4 paws and charged off in the direction of a nearby bandit camp he suddenly smelled.

As he crashed into the camp several of the bandits rushed him stupidly and he stood up swiping at one with a heavy paw snapping the unfortunate Orc's spine slashing and ripping his way through the pack of now terrified bandits roaring in animal rage as he went he pounced upon the last of the group a dunmer woman and mauled her viciously flaying her body with thick sharp claws and heavy powerful jaws he tore into her torso and devoured the heart of his first victim.

From then on he learned how to control the beastblood, at times he felt as though it was a curse, at other times a blessing. Calling upon the beastblood had saved his life on more than one occasion. But it had also caused him problems, eventually he found he was no longer welcome in Cyrodiil and traveled further north. Jango had hoped that one day he might meet someone in his travels. Returning to the present Jango stopped in his tracks to take in his surroundings and realizing the abandoned Fort in the pass would be an ideal place to sleep for the night, he made his way inside.

Finding the place was completely empty he picked out a bed, placed his golden colored Dwarven Greatsword on a rack next to the bed and placed his Dwarven Bow on a second rack, but kept his daggers belted and slept in his steel armor. Many people wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping in heavy steel armor but Jango valued waking up the next morning over sleeping comfortably at night, you never knew when someone would sneak up on you with the intent of killing you for their own gain.

(Several days later.)

Jango had escaped from the ruined town formerly known as Helgen, with help from a young adventuring Redgaurd woman, (who had introduced herself as Jacelyn) they'd quickly exchanged stories as to how they'd found themselves ambushed and knocked out by a large group of bandits. Apparently the bandits in question were ambushing travelers with the intention of using them for forced labor to try and rebuild Helgen into a private fortress the bandit clan could live in and plan stash the loot from their raids in.

Naturally the bandits being an all male group delighted in capturing a woman and immediately began boasting to the captives of how they would rape her. Jango had growled dangerously at the bandits at this. The other two captives, young Nord men merely glared daggers at the bandits as they could do little else being chained to the wall.

It was as four of the low-lives unchained Jacelyn from the group and dragged her off screaming and threatening them for all she was worth, that something in Jango snapped. Without hesitation or thinking of the consequences of his actions, Jango called upon the beastblood and in his transformation shattered the chains holding him to the wall. Ignoring the sudden terrified shocked screams of the two men still chained to the stone wall to his left, Jango leapt up with an enraged roar that echoed throughout the underground stone keep.

Rushing headlong into a fight wasn't Jango's normal battle style but in his beast form higher thinking was all but completely overuled by animal agression. Jango immediately came upon the bandits who now had Jacelyn bent over naked, pushed up against the wall and held in place. Upon seeing the massive hulking cat-monster as one of the brighter bandits called it, the second before Jango's heavy right paw smashed the luckless man right under the jaw breaking his neck instantly. Jango then launched himself at a rather slow witted Nord male who had watched Jango killing his friend in puzzlement, a few seconds later and Jango permanently ended the mans bafflement. Viciously shredding the man bood spraying over everything in a 5 foot radius.

Jacelyn was a fighter and a survivor but seeing Jango in this terrifying form scared her and she ducked into a corner of the keep barracks and hid herself as best she could. Watching Jango with a mixture of awe and fascinated horror, as he went about his grisly work ripping shredding and killing every bandit that foolishly stepped into his reach.

By the time he'd finished and reverted back to his normal form Jango had left none of the bandit clan alive. Making his way back to where Jacelyn had hidden herself he checked to be sure that she was alright. "Are you hurt?" Jacelyn was struggling to get her breathing normal again. "Other than shocked I am fine." Jango asked her in the sly quick dialect of his race. "The bandits... didn't get to you did they?" Jacelyn shook her head though she smiled lightly before replying "They didn't get time, one of them had been playing with my ass, and was about to drop his trousers right as you showed up and broke his neck." Jango looked sadly at Jacelyn which confused her "This one apologizes for... scaring you. It had to be done though I couldn't let the scum have their way with you." Jacelyn looked at him the confusion visible in her face, "Apologize for what? you saved me."

Jango thought about her words before replying "You were not frightened by, by my beast-side?" Jacelyn shook her head "I was at first because I had never seen another werewolf before, at least not one like you. but then I thought that it was very gallant of you." Jango smiled "Not a werewolf, but a werelion. But thank you, not many people like me after they find out that am inflicted with Lycanthropy."

Jango then hit a sudden realization. "Wait, you said another like me, are you also lycanthropic?" Jacelyn grinned "I guess so, ever since I was 16, after I fought off a bear that had attacked me just outside of my home in Morrowind, I found that I could transform into a bear sometimes. I thought they were all werewolves." Jango helped the still naked woman to her feet and said "You have the blood from the fight on you, lets get you washed up in the stream I'd seen outside just as the scum were carting us here."

Jacelyn agreed but suggested Jango first take the key and release the other two captives. When Jango returned to the cell block he found they had fainted. He quickly and quietly unlocked their shackles then left as quickly as he had come. Returning to the barracks he retrieved his Dwarven Greatsword, Bow and Daggers and strapped them on before grabbing the set of Leather armor and steel scimitars Jacelyn had on her when they were captured and then led her outside the keep and down to the stream.

After Jacelyn finished washing the blood from her body, while Jango remained on lookout nearby, she dressed herself in her leather armor, which she had forged herself specially for her. The armor was similar in appearance to any set of leather armor, though sleeveless and had no pauldrons, the armor was still quite effective as a light set. Brown in color with silver studding around the waist of the cuirass and along the skirt with heavy black fur serving as insulation against cold weather matching her boots and bracers the set was a perfect fit for her body.

Jango took an interest in the armor itself when Jacelyn explained of her smithing skills. She had tailor-made the set to fit her body perfectly and indeed it did. Hugging her curves tightly while not so tightly as to restrict her movements. It provided her ample breasts with support cupping them well, while typical armor would have squeezed her breasts painfully. Jango expressed his interest in learning the art of forging. Jacelyn had learned about smithing as in her adventures much of the armor she had come across was designed to be worn by either a man or woman, and most smiths didn't take into consideration the different body shapes of a woman. Jacelyn had wanted to make armor that was more fitting to the female body, in the hopes it would inspire more women to become adventurers.

As they talked and traveled away from the ruins of Helgen, Jango asked her if she had any planned places to explore. Jacelyn had thought about going to Whiterun and suggested they could travel together. Jango agreed as he'd taken a liking to the pretty Redgaurd, he admired the fact that she let her long black hair hang loosely down her back reaching her waist. It wasn't a common hairstyle and certainly wouldn't be considered lady-like to do so. However it spoke volumes about her independence and capability to act for herself, without the need of someone around to tell her how she should live her life.


	2. Bleak Falls Barrow

Disclaimer. Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, is the property of Bethesda.

Chapter 2 Bleak Falls Barrow.

Jango and Jacelyn made it to Riverwood late in the evening. When they reaźched the small town they heard tell of a great treasure said to be hidden in the nearby ruin of Bleak Falls Barrow. Jacelyn had wanted to go explore the barrow right away, Jango however cautioned her, "Before we go running off to explore any ruin, we should take the time to ensure that we are properly equipped." Jacelyn saw the wisdom in her friends words and they decided to look at the wares a local merchant had for sale.

Now stocked up on healing potions Jango had paid for, the two friends decided on first exploring Embershard mine. Skyrim's vast open wilderness had many cliffs and forests and the area around Riverwood was no exception. Finding the entrance to the mine amid overgrown underbrush a lone bandit stood gaurd, Jango quickly dispatched the nuisance with a well aimed Dwarven arrow. retrieving a few arrow from the body the friends entered the mine together.

Inside the mine they came across several bandits, Jango's keen night vision allowed him to make some truly skillful shots in the semi-darkness of the mines interior. Jacelyn using her talents as a natural Rogue flanked a pair of bandits and took them out almost simultaneously. A strong thrust from one of her scimitars impaled the heart of one, followed up with a double impaling strike made quick work of the other.

Jango recovered a key from one of the bodies and used to unlock the cell door in the area they'd just entered, in the cell they found a number of apples in a sack, and laying on a beat-up dirty wooden table was a solid looking banded iron shield. Jacelyn took a liking to the shield and placed it in her magic satchel (all adventurers have one, it is merely a small bag that somehow can store impossibly large items.)

The pair walked into a fairly large dark cavern, where the only light was coming from a forge, and they could hear a couple of bandits working on something at the forge. Jacelyn snuck in close and executed one bandit while Jango fired off a lethal shot from his dwarven bow slaying the other bandit. Looking around the forge, Jacelyn found a book titled "Beginners Guide To Forging. Jacelyn gave the book to Jango, and reading it, found that it helped him better understand the process of smithing.

They made their way to the back of the mine, killing more bandits as they went. Jango found some rare plants, glowing mushrooms growing low on the wall. Jango remembered that they grew best in dark moist environments like caves and had useful alchemical properties so he picked several. At last they reached the mines exit, seeing it was now late at night so they decided to return to Riverwood. Jacelyn paid for a room that had a big bed they could share and the two went to their room, changed out of their armor into their sleeping attire.

Jango merely wore a pair of long cotton trousers, while Jacelyn wore a silk nightdress. Sharing a bed made each realize that they were comfortable with one another, and as each fell asleep they wondered if their relationship was more than just a fast friendship. They slept a solid 8 hours, waking up around 7 am, they had a quick breakfast of apples and sweetbread that Jacelyn had baked. Strapping their armor back on, they tipped the Innkeeper 10 septims and left the Inn.

Jango and Jacelyn headed out to explore Bleak Falls Barrow along the way talking about their relationship. Jango broke the ice, "So last night you paid for a room that we shared a bed in. I wonder, do you have an interest in this one?" Jacelyn took in his words and grinning to him replied "I think I do, I've been adventuring mostly alone for a few years now, you're someone that understands what I've been through. We are also of the beastblood, thats something I never thought I'd find in a person. Understanding my affliction and not running away from me in fear, because you share my fate and know how it feels to transform."

Jango smiled at her spoken thoughts, "That is exactly what this one feels. I have been looking for a companion that understands me for too long now. It seems our minds are one and the same in this. Jacelyn smiled back at the big Khajiit, "Right so are we close friends or lovers?" Jango winked at her, "only one way to find out." Wrapping Jacelyn in a hug as he lifted her off her feet, he placed his lips against hers and she responded in kind. A sudden wave of raw emotion flooded through them both intensifying their senses and further heating the passion of the kiss. When the finally separated they found themselves breathing heavily. Jacelyn stared into Jango's deep blue eyes and saw the happiness behind the darkness in his soul. Jango watched her well-endowed chest rise and fall in time to her breaths, struggling to get his own labored breathing under control.

"I believe we have found ourselves to be much more than simple friends." Jango finally managed to say. Jacelyn could only nod her head in agreement. Suddenly both were on the alert, their peaceful moment now threatened by an unwelcome presence. An Argonian thief approached the pair swaggering up to them "Hand over your valuables or I'll gut the pair of you." Jango rolled his eyes and unsheathed his massive dwarven greatsword. At the sight of the colossal golden blade, the would be thief turned tail and ran as fast as he could. Jacelyn watched the Argonian beat a hasty retreat laughing as he ran.

It wasn't long before the couple had climbed to the entrance of the ruin. Laying waste to a small group of bandits that had been left behind to keep watch, Jango and Jacelyn entered the ruin together. Immediately they heard more voices further up, and smelled a cooking fire. Taking notice of their surroundings Jacelyn crept up to a naturally formed stone pillar getting into her battle-stance. Jango drew his Dwarven Bow, and notched a golden arrow to it.

Jango crept up alongside her, and signaled his intentions, loosing the shaft, he watched it as it found its mark burying itself deep into the chest of a Nord man. Who moments before had been arguing with his companion in their small camp and turning a largr charred rat on a spitroast. The woman took out her own hunting Bow and notched an iron arrow to it. As she was sneaking up to find where the arrow that slew her companion had been fired from, she failed to see Jacelyn come up from behind her. Too late the bandit woman turned around only to be impaled upon the scimitars wielded by the pretty Redgaurd.

Strapping his bow onto his back again, Jango drew his Dwarven Greatsword while Jacelyn quickly picked the lock on a small wooden crate and retrieved a quiver of steel arrows and a couple of healing potions. The two then walked down a flight of stairs and made their way deeper into the ruin. Soon they came across a room with a lever in the middle of the floor and 3 small stone pillars with animals carved into the sides. A lone bandit carrying a torch approached the lever and pulled it. The poor sod never knew what killed him. "Clever death trap triggerd by pulling the lever, I'd guess changing the animals displayed on the pillars may raise the gate without getting us shot at."

Jacelyn looked over to the pillars, then looked at the carvings on the wall, and the one that had fallen to the floor. Suddenly she had an idea as to what the correct animals to display on the pillars. Walking over to them, she spun the first two to display snakes and spun the last one to display a whale. Jango gave the lever a pull and the gate opened. The friends drew their weapons and proceeded with caution down the hallway killing a few skeevers as they went.

Jacelyn spotted a book on an old wooden table and picked it up, reading it she found helped her better understand the concept of lockpicking. Jango and Jacelyn found themselves standing on a spiral stairwell, and proceeded down it. Walking along the dimly lit corridor ignoring the spiderwebs in the corners, they heard a frantic voice, calling for help.


	3. Beyond the Spider's Lair

Disclaimer. Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, is the property of Bethesda.

Chapter 3 Beyond The Spiders Lair

Jango and Jacelyn made their way over to a doorway, that was covered with thick spiderwebs. A few strong slashes from Jacelyn's Scimitars cut the web down, entering a sizable chamber they heard the frantic voice calling out again, "Hurry up and kill that thing, for Arkay's sake don't leave me here!" Jango immediately charged the massive frostbite spider dealing heavy slashing blows from the front while Jacelyn flanked the huge spider and went to work slashing and stabbing it from behind.

Their coordinated efforts made quick work of the huge wounded arachnid. The voice, coming from a Dunmer male who was strung up literally by webbing that held him in place, soon demanded that they cut him down. Jango saw the Golden Claw, that the thief had strapped into his belt, grinning he cut the Dark Elf down. Immediately the thief ran off down the corridor behind him shouting over shoulder, "You fools why should I share any of my discoveries with you?" No sooner had Jango and Jacelyn caught up to the thief, before he was cut down by a Drauger.

Jango pulled out his Dwarven Bow and notched an arrow to it, loosing the shaft at the Drauger with almost blurring speed. The Drauger fell over dead, as two more came shambling towards the two friends. Jango fired off another shaft while Jacelyn rushed the other Drauger and stabbed it with both scimitars. The Drauger now dead, they checked the body of the dunmer thief. Finding a journal in his possession they found his name was Arvel, and they took it along with the golden claw.

Making their way through the ancient darkened crypt, they killed several more drauger. Finally coming to a place known as the hall of stories. There was a large and unusual door with 3 rings each divided into three sections with a different animal on each. Jango looked at the claw and noticed three animals on it, a bear a butterfly and an owl. As he said each animal aloud Jacelyn activated each ring twice, so the animals displayed on the door were the same as those on the claw. Jango inserted the claw into the lock and the door opened.

Once inside Beak Falls Sanctum they made their way to the back of the cavern and saw a stone sarcophagus. And along the back wall of the cavern, they noticed strange glowing words and heard an eerie chant echoing from ages long past. Jango and Jacelyn approached the wall and felt a strange presence and began to understand what they could not. Some ancient power awoke within them, yet they were not aware of it.

A sound from behind them and they spun around to face a Drauger Overlord, climbing out of the stone sarcophagus and said in a gutteral whisper something that sounded to them like "Hal Viik" and it leveled an ancient greatsword at them. Immediately Jango had his bow in hand and a fraction of a second later a golden arrow went sailing through the air embedding itself into the chest of the powerful Drauger. Jango then drew his own Greatsword while Jacelyn drew her scimitars. Jango charged straight toward the Drauger impaling it from the front while Jacelyn circled behind it and delivered a series of lightning fast slashes. Killing the Drauger they began climbing the stairs out of the cavern.

After leaving Bleak Falls Barrow, Jango and Jacelyn made their way back to Riverwood. Killing a few wolves and bandits on the trek back to Riverwood, they made it back shortly before Dusk. Jango headed over to the Riverwood Trader and inquired about the Claw, finding it had actually been stolen from Lucan and Camilla Valerius. Jacelyn went over to the Sleeping Giant Inn, rented a room for her and Jango's second night in Riverwood and caught the latest gossip. It seemed the Companions in Whiterun were taking on new members.

Jango joined his companion at the Inn and paid for a couple of ales which he and Jacelyn downed, while sitting in front of the Inn's fireplace listening to a young Male Nord who worked as the Inn's bard. Jango gave the bard a tip of 10 Septims then he and Jacelyn retired to their room for the night. Before allowing themselves to sleep, Jango and Jacelyn enjoyed their second passionate firey Kiss. It may have been an unusual relationship, Races rarely mixed with one another, but when they did it was always out of true love. Jango and Jacelyn just didn't realize this yet.

Early the next morning the two companions donned their armor again, and immediately began making plans to head to Whiterun. As Jango and Jacelyn walked down the road from Riverwood, they talked about what the Companions might be like. The pair also debated as to what they shoud do with the strange ancient stone tablet they'd found on the Drauger, In the Sanctum of Bleak Falls Barrow.

While on the road to Whiterun Jango and Jacelyn encountered a pair of assassins who immediately attacked them. Jango drew his Greatsword and made short work of the first assassin impaling the Bosmer man who foolishly charged right into the massive golden blade. The other assassin an Argonian woman met her end after a short duel with Jacelyn. The assassin's Elven Daggers couldn't reach as far as Jacelyn's Scimitars and the pretty Redgaurd quickly cut the would-be assassin to pieces.

After slaying the assassin's they checked the bodies and Jacelyn found a note on one of them reading _As instructed, you are to eliminate Jango and Jacelyn by any means necessary. We have already received payment for the contract. Failure is not an option. Astrid."_ Jango looked at Jacelyn with a quizzical expression. "This one wonders, who ordered a hit on us, and why." Jacelyn looking equally puzzled by the situation they'd found themselves in, observed aloud, "I don't know who ordered the hit or why, but I do know that these two, (she indicated the dead assassins) are wearing the armor of the Dark Brotherhood. I can tell because only members of the Dark Brotherhood, wore black and crimson leather armor studded with black steel and decorated with a skull emblem on the chest."

Jango nodded his understanding, placing the assassins note into his satchel they drug the bodies off of the road and hid them below a small cliff in some tall overgrown weeds. That taken care of the friends resumed their journey to Whiterun. Eventually they came across a group of three people who were having a rough time fighting a giant at a farm, deciding to help they rushed in.

Jango drew his Dwarven Bow and immediately began firing off arrows into the head and back of the giant, Jacelyn sprinted up drawing her scimitars she stood side by side with a muscular young Nord man sporting shoulder length jet black hair. A Redheaded Nord woman wearing a set of ancient Nord Armor hung back of the group firing arrows from an Imperial Bow into the chest and face of the giant. Then a sandy haired wiry but athletic looking male Nord charged up to the giant and swung a heavy steel battle-axe straight into the giants stomach. Their combined efforts quickly overwhelmed the giant who soon lay dead at their feet.

The redhead Nord woman introduced herself to Jango and Jacelyn, as Aela the Huntress, "You two handle yourselves well, you may make good Companions." Jacelyn eagerly asked Aela "You're the companions? we've actually been looking for you." At this the dark haired male Nord, spoke up. "If you're hoping to join the companions head on up to Jorvasker in Whiterun and talk to Kodlak. Names Farkas by the way." The sandy haired Nord carrying the Battle-Ax followed up "If there's introductions to made I'm Torvald."


End file.
